English majors enter a wide array of careers, including teaching, technical writing, graduate programs in English Law and Medicine, and industry. (See our Careers section.) The English and Comparative Literature Department offers programs of study in English, American, World, and Comparative Literature, and in Creative and Professional Writing. Sophisticated critical abilities and a knowledge of culture are the hallmarks of our program's graduates.
The Department offers a BA with focus in Career and Technical writing as well as literary study. It also offers an Master of Arts degree that develops further the literary, critical and creative abilities of students who want to go on to teaching careers or doctoral studies. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing trains professional writers in the history and craft of poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction and a track for those interested in script-and screen-writing.
The English and Comparative Literature Department supports active student organizations such as the English Society, Poets & Writers Coalition, English Graduate Group, and Society for Technical Communication. It is also home to the Steinbeck Fellows Program and to the Lurie Professor in Creative Writing, both annual appointments of distinguished writers who are in residence.
Faculty include instructors who are publishing poets and prose writers, scholars of literature and language, and active contributors to their fields nationally and internationally. English faculty have won university awards for superior teaching and professional accomplishment. Because the department takes seriously its mission to develop the reading and writing skills, interpretive ability and cultural awareness of all the university's students, it maintains a tradition of strong teaching, good scholarship and vigorous support of the literary arts. Majors, minors and general education students all have access to some of the best teachers and writers in the university.
The department offers a BA in English, BA with a concentration in Career Writing, BA in Education, BA in Creative Writing (coming Fall 2008) MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing. Students majoring in other fields may elect to minor in literature, comparative literature, creative writing or technical writing. Look our Department's website for information, frequently asked questions and contact details. For further questions, contact our Department office: english@sjsu.edu.
English Department Office
Phone: (408) 924-4425
Fax: (408) 924-4580
english@sjsu.edu
Faculty Offices 102
One Washington Square
San José, California, USA, 95192-0090
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